The first 1000 days project: the first line of prevention

Mount Sinai is hosting an international experts meeting to kick off a program tackling Non-Communicable Disease starting from early stages of life.

New York, NY: On May 15th 2017 an international advisory board of experts will meet to launch first1000days project. The board will set the priorities identifying the most-cost-effective clinical and educational interventions to predict and prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) during the timeframe between preconception and infancy. The project will be deployed in Brescia, Italy integrating cross-cutting scientific evidences and sustainable approaches to develop a replicable, cost-effective care model.

Prevention starts from early-life stage

Harmful environmental conditions in the time before, during and after pregnancy (including nutrition, obesity, maternal smoking, diabetes, environmental pollutants, as well as physical or psychological stress), will influence the whole life course of our health, as well as the risk of developing NCDs. Developmental dysregulation may affect any life-stage, but the prenatal/fetal and early postnatal window of susceptibility seem to be the most vulnerable to exogenous influence because they are periods of deep and rapid molecular changes that can also be transmitted trans-generationally determining a cardiovascular, metabolic, cancer and neurological disease susceptibility.

Knowledge is Power

The project also aims at empowering individuals with evidence-based recommendations to make informed decisions on their own health and that of their future children. The proposed approach representsa fundamental reframing of the issue of how to prevent NCDs and how to manage life-long health and quality of life. This effort will need the support and contribution of Governments, Institutions, Industry, Business and Civil Society – as a whole – synergically committed on tackling the epidemic of NCDs in the First 1000 Days.

Governance

The First 1,000 Days Project represents a no-profit effort with significant public health impact funded by the Brescia Industries Association (AIB) through the Brescia+ consortium and coordinated by the Lorenzini Medical Foundation (Prof. Sergio Pecorelli, former President of the Italian Medicines Agency and former Rector of the University of Brescia, who will also lead the advisory board). The advisory board is composed by:

· Manish Arora, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – New York (NY)

· Dennis Bier, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (TX)

· Elisa Maria Fazzi, University of Brescia, Italy

· Emmanuele Jannini, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Italy

· Luca Lambertini, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – New York (NY)

· Philip Landrigan, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai– New York (NY)

· Roberto Lucchini, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai – New York (NY)